Chapter 51

This starts with three commands from God to Israel:

The first is translated in ESV as "Listen to me..."

God says that He will take care of Abraham's descendants, and of the land in which they dwell.  At least, he will take care of those who "pursue righteousness".

The second is in vs 4 and is translated "Give attention to me..."

Heaven and earth will be no more, and ONLY those that follow God will survive it.  His salvation is forever:

6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed. [Isa 51:6 ESV]

Then, a third in vs 7, translated "Listen to me...": that we are not to worry about being reviled by man, nor to fear man.  Such men will pass away, but God's salvation will be forever.

Then the people answer, they pray, they request.  They cry "Awake, awake...."; this is an appeal to God to preserve and protect Israel as in the days of old.  Reference to the crossing of the Red Sea.  Puts the lie to the "shallow part of the Red Sea theory". 

Don't quite get this verse:

9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon? [Isa 51:9 ESV]

What Rahab does this refer to?  I thought Rahab helped, and even appears in the genealogy of Jesus?  I think I get the dragon ok, but Rahab?  Is she here a stand-in for Babylon?  MSB note says this:  "This prayer of deliverance in the future was based on times past when the Lord overcame Rahab, which was a term widely used to refer to things that wreak havoc, often, as in this case, Egypt. (See Ps 87:4.)"  That verse says this:  4 Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon; behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush-- "This one was born there," they say. [Psa 87:4 ESV]  Ok, it does use the word Rahab...Still a confusing term to me.

vs 12 is God's answer to the prayer:  "I, I am He who comforts you...".  Don't fear men, men die.  God is forever.  God declares that in His great power, He has declared Israel His people:

16 And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, 'You are my people.'" [Isa 51:16 ESV]

vs 17, God continues.  He says to those who have "drunk to the dregs of the bowl, the cup of staggering", referring to their captivity and slavery at the hands of Babylon, that there are no sons of Israel that can help them in this time of trouble.  She has no "sons" of her own capable of delivering her. 

This verse, yet again speaking of double punishment:

19 These two things have happened to you-- who will console you?-- devastation and destruction, famine and sword; who will comfort you? [Isa 51:19 ESV]

Israel had to suffer twice before vs 22 comes to pass.

God says He has done this:

22 Thus says your Lord, the LORD, your God who pleads the cause of his people: "Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering; the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more; [Isa 51:22 ESV]

Seems to foretell the end of the "blindness in part" that came on Israel.  The end of the double punishment.  This comes in Revelation.  The Jews come back to God in droves, recognizing Christ as Messiah, in the end times.  It is all laid out here.

2022 - It is likely also about the return from Babylon.  They were in captivity for 70 years, and then came home.  Their oppressors were overtaken in a day by Cyrus.

2021 - No new notes this year.

2024 - There is a footnote in MSB saying that Babylon drank the cup to the dregs.  It was utterly destroyed, and that forever, by God's wrath.  Israel, on the other hand, has been made to drink from this same cup, but she will not drink it to the end.  The cup will be removed at some point, and those who oppress Israel will finish the cup.  Perhaps that is the reason the end times result in so much death, and ultimately to the earth passing away completely.  The end of the cup of wrath.